Dataset Information

Eimeria sciurorum (Apicomplexa, Coccidia) From the Calabrian Black Squirrel (Sciurus meridionalis): An Example of Lower Host Specificity of Eimerians.

ABSTRACT: Host specificity plays one of the key roles in parasitism. It affects the evolution and diversification of both host and parasite, as well as it influences their geographical distribution, and epidemiological significance. For most of parasites, however, host specificity is unknown or misrepresented because it is difficult to be determined accurately. Here we provide the information about the lower host specificity of Eimeria sciurorum infecting squirrels, and its new host record for the Calabrian black squirrel Sciurus meridionalis, a southern Italian endemic species.

SUBMITTER: Kvicerova J

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7399200 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Eimeria sciurorum (Apicomplexa, Coccidia) From the Calabrian Black Squirrel (Sciurus meridionalis): An Example of Lower Host Specificity of Eimerians.

Kvicerova Jana J Hofmannova Lada L Scognamiglio Francesca F Santoro Mario M

Frontiers in veterinary science 20200728

Host specificity plays one of the key roles in parasitism. It affects the evolution and diversification of both host and parasite, as well as it influences their geographical distribution, and epidemiological significance. For most of parasites, however, host specificity is unknown or misrepresented because it is difficult to be determined accurately. Here we provide the information about the lower host specificity of Eimeria sciurorum infecting squirrels, and its new host record for the ...[more]

PMID: 32850991

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Project description:BackgroundClinical and subclinical coccidiosis is cosmopolitan and inflicts significant losses to the poultry industry globally. Seven named Eimeria species are responsible for coccidiosis in turkeys: Eimeria dispersa; Eimeria meleagrimitis; Eimeria gallopavonis; Eimeria meleagridis; Eimeria adenoeides; Eimeria innocua; and, Eimeria subrotunda. Although attempts have been made to characterize these parasites molecularly at the nuclear 18S rDNA and ITS loci, the maternally-derived and mitotically replicating mitochondrial genome may be more suited for species level molecular work; however, only limited sequence data are available for Eimeria spp. infecting turkeys. The purpose of this study was to sequence and annotate the complete mitochondrial genomes from 5 Eimeria species that commonly infect the domestic turkey (Meleagris gallopavo).MethodsSix single-oocyst derived cultures of five Eimeria species infecting turkeys were PCR-amplified and sequenced completely prior to detailed annotation. Resulting sequences were aligned and used in phylogenetic analyses (BI, ML, and MP) that included complete mitochondrial genomes from 16 Eimeria species or concatenated CDS sequences from each genome.ResultsComplete mitochondrial genome sequences were obtained for Eimeria adenoeides Guelph, 6211 bp; Eimeria dispersa Briston, 6238 bp; Eimeria meleagridis USAR97-01, 6212 bp; Eimeria meleagrimitis USMN08-01, 6165 bp; Eimeria gallopavonis Weybridge, 6215 bp; and Eimeria gallopavonis USKS06-01, 6215 bp). The order, orientation and CDS lengths of the three protein coding genes (COI, COIII and CytB) as well as rDNA fragments encoding ribosomal large and small subunit rRNA were conserved among all sequences. Pairwise sequence identities between species ranged from 88.1% to 98.2%; sequence variability was concentrated within CDS or between rDNA fragments (where indels were common). No phylogenetic reconstruction supported monophyly of Eimeria species infecting turkeys; Eimeria dispersa may have arisen via host switching from another avian host. Phylogenetic analyses suggest E. necatrix and E. tenella are related distantly to other Eimeria of chickens.ConclusionsMitochondrial genomes of Eimeria species sequenced to date are highly conserved with regard to gene content and structure. Nonetheless, complete mitochondrial genome sequences and, particularly the three CDS, possess sufficient sequence variability for differentiating Eimeria species of poultry. The mitochondrial genome sequences are highly suited for molecular diagnostics and phylogenetics of coccidia and, potentially, genetic markers for molecular epidemiology.

Project description:BackgroundQuantifying infection intensity is a common goal in parasitological studies. We have previously shown that the amount of parasite DNA in faecal samples can be a biologically meaningful measure of infection intensity, even if it does not agree well with complementary counts of transmission stages (oocysts in the case of Coccidia). Parasite DNA can be quantified at relatively high throughput using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), but amplification needs a high specificity and does not simultaneously distinguish between parasite species. Counting of amplified sequence variants (ASVs) from high-throughput marker gene sequencing using a relatively universal primer pair has the potential to distinguish between closely related co-infecting taxa and to uncover the community diversity, thus being both more specific and more open-ended.MethodsWe here compare qPCR to the sequencing-based amplification using standard PCR and a microfluidics-based PCR to quantify the unicellular parasite Eimeria in experimentally infected mice. We use multiple amplicons to differentially quantify Eimeria spp. in a natural house mouse population.ResultsWe show that sequencing-based quantification has high accuracy. Using a combination of phylogenetic analysis and the co-occurrence network, we distinguish three Eimeria species in naturally infected mice based on multiple marker regions and genes. We investigate geographical and host-related effects on Eimeria spp. community composition and find, as expected, prevalence to be largely explained by sampling locality (farm). Controlling for this effect, the novel approach allowed us to find body condition of mice to be negatively associated with Eimeria spp. abundance.ConclusionsWe conclude that amplicon sequencing provides the underused potential for species distinction and simultaneous quantification of parasites in faecal material. The method allowed us to detect a negative effect of Eimeria infection on the body condition of mice in the natural environment.

Dataset Information

Eimeria sciurorum (Apicomplexa, Coccidia) From the Calabrian Black Squirrel (Sciurus meridionalis): An Example of Lower Host Specificity of Eimerians.

Publications

<i>Eimeria sciurorum</i> (Apicomplexa, Coccidia) From the Calabrian Black Squirrel (<i>Sciurus meridionalis</i>): An Example of Lower Host Specificity of Eimerians.

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